my fave iPad puzzle apps

Because Miss. Barbara asked. 

  Any of the My First Puzzle apps are grrrrrreat!  And there’s a slew of them to choose from!  I love how when you touch one piece the others fade.  This allows Trevy visual clarity for where to place the piece he’s dragging.  Visual clarity = more success.  And more success = longer attention span.  And longer attention span = less Trevy wrangling!  Hence my appreciation for My First Puzzles.   

  Whimsy by David Ross is another fabulous puzzle app.  (I hyper linked the lite version) I love that the puzzles are shadow images first.  Once the puzzle is complete the real life animal picture is your prize!  The full version offers sixty different animals to explore. 

  Although the Red Fish Alphabet app (freebie alert!) isn’t a puzzle per se…there are some wonderful little puzzle-ish nuggets hidden within.  C for instance is just too much fun!  Trevy thinks it’s hilarious how the eggs crack into the bowl.  And once your little guy finishes matching all the ingredients to their shadows what does he get?  An animated cake to celebrate his success!  Love that app!  

  That’s Not My Dog (freebie alert!) is a cute little book with a shadow puzzle at the end. 

  Baby Shapes uses preschool shapes to create puzzles of cute animals.  (freebie alert!) 

  Toddler Alphabet for iPad has many wonderful layers including cute little letter tailored puzzles.  And it doesn’t hurt that there’s an ABC song too!

Enjoy your Pad!

…danielle

that’s SO exciting snippets

 

 

Our Young Athletes Special Olympics open house it into our local Patch (online newspaper)!  

 

“A new Special Olympics Youth Athlete program is forming in Tiverton, for ages 2-1/2 to 8. The fall program will focus on soccer, tennis and track. It is free for all participants and open to area special needs children on a first come first serve basis. Information is also available on the group’s website www.tivertonspecialsports.com. Volunteers are also needed and can get information at the open house or on the website as well.”  read full article here. 

 

SO exciting!

 

 

This is what happens when I don’t rush to get Trevy up the minute I hear a post nap peep outta him…

 

 

 

 

Every single thing he can reach winds up tossed into the middle of the floor.

 

 

 

 

Okay so that wasn’t really exciting…

 

But the next one is!

 

 

 

 

Trevy stacked four blocks on top of each other all.by.him.self!!!

 

If you have or care for a special needs child…you know that’s SO exciting!

 

 

 

 

 

Also, exciting with a bittersweet twang.  Our mutt doggie dug up a baby bunny nest in our yard.  The kids were beyond themselves with excitement.  Clearly we need to spend more time with nature.  We worked really hard to reunite the bunnies with their mommy…but she never came back.  Jonathan rolled his eyes when I declared it a miracle all four survived the night without her.  I’m a sap.     Anyway…a local volunteer came and picked them up.  She’s successfully nursed newborn bunnies until they were able to thrive in the wild.  The best part is…she promised we can go visit them until they’re released!

 

 

And last up on the “that’s SO exciting” list…

 

 

 

 

It was supposed to be date night.  But turned out to be ER night. 

 

 

Toby vs. Log

 

 

I’m not sure how the log is doing.  But Tobes has 12 stitches, a black & swollen left eye, and a mild concussion. Soooooooo…

 

 

 

 

Actually…

 

 

that kinda reminds me of another little guy who had a swollen black eye from a head wound once upon a time…

 

 

 

 

Bonds of Brotherhood…

 

 

…danielle

winner winner chicken dinner!

 

 

LOVE that I won the Gather the Family give-away over at Living Sola Gratia! 

 

I never win anything! 

 

Guess I can’t say that any more…  

 

…danielle 

random-nings

Bristel on marriage…


I’m going to marry someone who appreciates a loving wife and knows how to take care of babies!


Sage advice from a six year old. 

**********

Toby on McDonalds…


Every AllStar deserves a decent meal.


While munching his fave.  A McChicken Sandwich.  

**********

Bristel on Click n’ Kids the phonetic program we’re using to bridge the summer…


Click n’ Kids is my enemy!

**********

Trevy on nigh-night time…

Sew she 

(no he wasn’t craving raw fish…that’s how he says “sound machine”)

He was reminding me to turn on his sound machine from his cozy snuggle place under the covers. 

**********

Whispered by Bristel during church last Sunday…


Is the next stop communion? 

**********

‘The informality of family life is a blessed condition that allows us to become our best while looking our worst.”

-- Marge Kennedy

**********

budget friendly geography buys

Tis’ the season for school supply shopping!  I’m such a goofy sap.  For as long as I can remember I’ve loved the sights and smells of fresh learning gear!  Buying for my kids brings out my nostalgia!  

Which is why I’ve been trolling the school supply aisles everywhere I go.  

The most expensive thing in the picture above is the tray!

Which btw…I use my trays for everything.  You can purchase your own here.  

Target had a flashcard set of the 50 states. Book rings (I found mine at Staples) and flashcards go together like sunshine and the beach!

Perfect match! 

Grams bought the foam puzzle map above for us.  She found it in a dollar bin at Staples. 

Target also had a 1st Grade workbook through all 50 States and a little 50 State quick facts book.  Both in their dollar section!  And just what I needed for our together time.  I’m planning to focus on the States during our morning exercises.     

Here’s hoping you score some great new school supplies too!

…danielle

his summer school –her summer school

 

 

 

The plan was to Saxon our way through the summer.  But I forgot to factor in cousins visiting…basketball camp…dance camp…beach days…and oh yeah…

 

mommy needing a sanity break! 

 

:: wink ::

 

Saxon is collecting dust in it’s workbox home.  Meanwhile…Toby is sweating over the test prep workbook I have him studying in preparation for his online CAT evaluation.  I’m not a teach-to-the-test kinda girl.  But he’s never taken a standardized test before and I wanted him to get a feel for the process. 

 

 

 

 

 

Bristel has been faithfully completing a Click N’ Kids lesson daily.  She’s doing wonderful even if she has declared Click N’ Kids her…

 

enemy!

 

LOL

 

 

 

 

She enjoys her math workbook though.  And was quite proud of her “1st Grade numbers”. 

 

That’s what she called them.  So cute.

 

 

 

We’re learning to skip-count. 

 

These rainbow stix & shapes I found in a Staples dollar bin have been working just perfectly as math manipulatives!  

 

 

 

 

Check out how other moms are workboxing this summer by clicking the picture over there ----->

 

 

 

 

…danielle

backyard therapy–find the same

 

Have I mentioned how much I love Trevy’s ABA therapy?  I’m sure I must have.  Because it’s just been so wonderful for him!  I totally give them the credit for his ability to discern things that are the same.  This activity is building on that skill set. 

 

 

Supplies You Need

 

 

 

White or Chalk Board are ideal.  However, if our special kids teach us anything it’s that anything is adaptable if we just give it a try!  Try a blank sheet of printer paper instead.  Or be even more creative and then come back here and share the wealth!  I will admit to being addicted to my magnetic white board, though.  I use it for everything!

 

Painters Tape.  Another tool I live and die by!  Love the stuff!  I use it to mount the kids art projects to the walls.  Bristel’s room is wall to wall coloring pages that I let her go to town with hanging for her art studio.  Jonathan is a fan too…because it doesn’t rip off wall paper when I decide it’s time for a change.  Ahem.  Like I used to be known for.  Ooops.    

 

Dry Erase Markers.  If you’re using a white board like me. 

 

Flash Cards.  You can choose of what.  Shapes, animals, alphabet…  The key is having two sets.  I have found adorable little sets at the Dollar Store.  I even found little wooden cut-out shapes in the dollar bin at Staples the other day!  Those could work too.  Really…the limit is yours!  But the ones I’m using for this activity are home-made.  I’m a fan of anything Montessori.  Scraps of fabric and felt and sandpaper were used to make basic preschool shapes.  I love them but I recommend using laminated cards so yours don’t get ruined like mine.  Smile.   

 

Skill Building Targets

 

Fine Motor Movement; Pre-writing;  Preschool Math;  Discrimination & Problem Solving; Receptive Speech; Attention span

 

How to Prep and Play

 

Use the Painter’s Tape to mount the flashcards to your board of choice.  I opted for a single file row like so… 

 

 

Now mount an identical row on the other side of the board. 

 

 

If your little one is new to matching things that are the same you may want to start with just 1 or 2 shapes.  And place them closer together and directly across from each other.  Be ready to Hand Over Hand them until you feel like they’re ready for a solo run. 

 

Trevy knows each of the basic shapes I’m using well enough that having them scrambled shouldn’t be too difficult.

 

Now comes the fun part!   

 

    **sample line drawn by mwah**

 

The object is to help your child draw a line from one shape to it’s match on the other side of the board.

 

Before (getting brave and) giving Trevy the marker I had him use his fingers to touch a shape.  I then Hand Over Handed his finger in a line to the shape’s match.  He seemed to get the point quickly.  SO I let him go to town.   

 

He did AH-mazing!

 

 

Check out the self correction (pictured above) with his line from the blue square to it’s match on the other side!

 

 

He made it through 3 (approx. 10 seconds ) whole shapes before needing a movement break.  Love the Sensory Hands rolling the marker.

 

If you have a BackYard Therapy idea and would like to contribute a post…I’d love to hear from you!  Email me at tanzie213@yahoo.com. 

 

…danielle      

 

for more fun math ideas for all ages click the image below

 

car bath (a picture marathon)

 

 

Jonathan had a crazy idea.

 

 

 

 

The idea involved two kids.  A sister.  And her special little brother.  A fenced in yard.  And a double wide gate with enough allowance for a truck to pull through and seal the gate back up again thus trapping both car and kids inside.  (this is key!)  A pulled in truck which happened to be in desperate need of a bath.  A big bucket of soapy water.  And unlimited hose usage. 

 

 

 

 

Oh…and also a dog.  Whom the brother would randomly decide needed a bath as well.  Totally against her will!

 

 

 

 

You’ve heard of Jazz Hands, right?

 

 

 

 

We call that move up there…Sensory Hands. 

 

:: smile ::

 

 

 

 

Trevy was very thorough. 

 

 

 

 

Until he (had an ADHD moment and) realized there were puddles to splash in!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It may have been a crazy idea.  But nobody ever said crazy isn’t fun! 

 

 

And it was a great way to stay cool in this scorcher weather we’re having!  

 

 

:: wink ::

 

 

…danielle

captain Toby (melt your mommy moment of the week)

 

 

 

 

One of Toby’s AllStar coaches left this in our mailbox last week. 

 

It’s an iron on patch. 

 

The “c” is for captain.  And is given to players consistently demonstrating good sportsmanship and positive attitudes.  Only two have been awarded so far this season.  I’m totally proud that I got to iron one onto my son’s ball cap! 

 

 

Although note to self:  wicked hot iron will melt synthetic material being used to make ball caps these days!  Ooops. 

 

:: smile ::

 

 

…danielle    

iPad apps of the day–pre-reading extravaganza

  ABC Magic Spelling 1 – FREE today

Trevy loves anything that has drag n’ drop action going on.  And mommy loves that this app is teaching him pre-reading skills.  Takes gobs of patience, coaching and redirection but with mommy showing him where to place the letters – he can successfully complete two words before wanting to hit the iPad road.  Ex:  Trevy find the letter “m”.  M is a tuffy for him so I’ll usually need to tap it .  Trevy put “m” here.  And I’ll point to M’s home.  I have no idea if this is right or wrong but I always make him spell the word the right way.  My philosophy is to start teaching him now.  Bonus love – Bristel rocks it!  I’m so proud of how well she’s doing with her reading and spelling! 

  ABC Magic 2 – FREE today

Same developer – different flavor!  Still great stuff!

  ABC Magic Reading Short Vowels – FREE today 

Great for beginning readers!

  ABC Magic 3 Line Match – FREE today

Seriously…never buy another workbook again! 

 ABC Magic Phonics – FREE today

A visual match of the letter with the sound which helps reinforce the phonics you’re already teaching!  Good stuff!

I’m sure there are more!

(I say this because inevitably someone will feel compelled to tell me I missed some )

Just search Preschool University in your app store and make sure you install them all! 

…danielle

curriculum stresses me out, so there

I love being neat and organized.

I adore cute and clutter free school rooms.  The kind (I will have someday!  I’m thinking in the year two thousand and HEAVEN!? ) with charming finger-painted poster laced walls and word wall boarders (that totally shout out that two year old kid is going to Harvard someday!). 

I long to be confident and whipped into shape.

But…

somehow the process of getting from here 

(curriculum choices for next year still up in the air; last year’s school work still not filed away; laundry a mile high because I’ve wasted the past two weeks frozen in front of the computer trying to get my act together; and I’m not sure how much longer my family can survive on cereal and toast)

to there

(confident that my little Einsteins have a whole year’s worth of perfectly suited for them curriculum ready to fill their shiny & bright & perfectly organized workboxes;  last year’s school work neatly portfolio-ed with every pertinent thing carefully placed so that it’s readily available at a finger tip’s notice; the laundry room is not only empty but even the undies are ironed; and not only is my family eating dinner around the table nightly but the kids are cooking it and we’re having who can quote the Gettysburg Address offs to boot! ) 

totally overwhelms me.  Stresses me out!  Like, for real! 

See, I’m the mom who just positively freezes when it comes to picking out a curriculum.  Good grief…I can’t even shop at BJs because there are too many choices!  And there the only thing on the line is – dinner.    

I’m the mom who fills her virtual shopping cart with curriculum choices for next year.  But never checks out.  Or at least not until the very last minute.  And then fights the urge to call and cancel the order immediately after.  Because…well…maybe I want my kid to go to Harvard too?!  And I just know I should have gone with that other program!  And now he’s totally going to community college instead.   

I’m the mom who has a panic attack at the idea of anything involving paint.  Fingered or otherwise!  Because my life is full enough without an extra mess to clean!  You have seen my mile high laundry pile, right?!  No?  Just follow Trevy’s I-must-touch-everything fingerprints and you’ll find it.  And it totally won’t offend me if you put the next load in.     

I’m the mom who hopes to God that her child doesn’t ask her a difficult question in front of other people.  And for the sake of all that is Holy…if you must…it had better not have anything to do with numbers!  My palms are sweating just thinking about it.  And it’s not because I’m not clever.  I have a college degree.  But let’s face it, a full Life has a way of cramming out the academics!  Especially when one is sitting on the bleachers surrounded by other parents who are all trying to figure out why exactly you do keep your kids at home!  That’s a great time to play the “have you seen the size of Trevy’s brain surgery scar” card!    

Yep.  I’m just a regular mom.  Making it through each day by the skin of His Grace and a dab of humor. 

And in spite of all the areas I need improvement (and trust me, the list goes ooooooooon) I love my kids fiercely.  My desire is for them to be successful…not just academically…but wholly.  From the inside out.  Ya know.  That has to mean something.  Something.  With that in mind…and with no further ado…I present you my curriculum choices for the school year of 2011-2012.   

**********

Math

5th Grader – Saxon 5/4 (and possibly creeping into 6/5)

1st Grader – Abeka

English

5th Grader – ACE

1st Grader – Abeka

History

5th Grader – ACE

1st Grader – Abeka

** you’re seeing the pattern here right **

Spelling/Poetry

5th Grader – ACE

1st Grader – Abeka

Science

5th Grader – Apologia’s Exploring Astronomy

1st Grader – Abeka (and possibly joining for Astronomy)

Geography

5th Grader – Map Skills (his ACE history also covers geography)

1st Grader – Abeka

Fine Arts

5th Grader – Piano & SANS art classes as available

1st Grader – the same

PE

5th Grader – Fallball & Basketball

1st Grader – Soccer if I can convince her, Swimming maybe…but quite possibly the Wii

Health

Both – Apologia’s Exploring Anatomy & My Body

Worldview

Both – Character Sketches

And that’s how we’re planning to roll this year…

(and for the record…I feel MUCH better with that all off my imperfect chest)

To see what other’s are up to visit the Let’s Talk Curriculum linky over at Training Children Up for Christ.   

…danielle

newest nexflix-ing love

Cake TV

Such a GREAT show for crafty girls.  I can’t vouch for every episode but I’ve watched enough to feel comfortable letting my crafty girl enjoy the whole season that’s currently available instant stream in Netflix.  Wholesome and creative.  Cake is like a teenaged Martha Stewart.  And Bristel loooooves her.  Like, totally, loves her.  Like…the other day I asked her if she could choose her own dreams what would she choose…

To be with Cake in Cake TV

Of course.

I even let her go to town with fabric markers and an old pair of jeans after a Cake episode.  And know what?  She did an amazing job!  Not that all the other moms at church on Sunday agreed when their girls were all begging to do the same.  But…ya know…

Click here and here for more of our Netflix-ing loves.

I do have to say, I’m bummed with Netflix.  Shortly after I wrote this post we received and email that they are moving forward with charging $7.99 for dvds and $7.99 for streaming.    I was hoping they would play it smart and just increase the monthly bill by a couple dollars.  We’re going to keep the streaming…and say bye-bye to the dvds.   

…danielle